Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Today, Tuesday 17th March 2009 is a day to remember for Italian football and also for Juventus. Giovanni Trapattoni is celebrating his 70th birthday!

The greatest winning coach of Italian football and one of the most important in Europe has left his mark on many conquests especially while on the Juventus bench which he occupied twice.

The first experience, between 1976 and 1986 was absolutely great: in his ten years as coach he managed to win 6 scudetti, 2 Coppa Italia, a Champions Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, a European Super Cup, A Cup Winners Cup and a UEFA Cup. The latter he won in 1977 and it was the first international victory for Juventus who at that time was made up entirely of Italian players.

The second experience was shorter but still rich in satisfaction: between 1991 and 1994 he won another UEFA cup, his second with Juventus and the third in all (he won another with Inter) thus making him the only coach to have attained this.

However his career was not only with Juventus. As a Milan player he was successful in Italy and in Europe. As a coach his portfolio is extraordinary with no real difference between coaching in Italy or abroad, a club or a national team.

Besides the ones won with Juventus and Inter he won national titles in other three countries: with Bayern Munich in Germany, with Benfica in Portugal and with red Bull Salzburg in Austria.

As international coach he led Italy in the 2002 World Cup held in Korea and Japan and has been the coach of Ireland since 2008 with whom he hopes to qualify for the next world championship to be held in South Africa in 2010 assisted by two ex-bianconeri Marco Tardelli and Liam Brady. Ireland is in the same group with Italy and the two teams will meet on the 1st of April in Bari.

As part of the series “70 years but who can tell?” all at Juventus and their supporters shout in unison “Happy Birthday Trap!”